


To Cement These Frail Identities

by lionessvalenti



Category: White Collar
Genre: Canon Het Relationship, Community: WCPairings, Double Date, F/M, Father's Day, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-07-09
Updated: 2011-07-09
Packaged: 2017-10-21 05:07:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,671
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/221257
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lionessvalenti/pseuds/lionessvalenti
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A casual double-date reveals more than expected.</p>
            </blockquote>





	To Cement These Frail Identities

**Author's Note:**

  * For [jrosemary](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=jrosemary).



> Written for the WCPairings challenge. Title comes from the song _Kidnapped_ by Declan Bennett. Beta read by Lefaym.

Neal stepped out of the cab and onto the street, a light rain falling on the grey Saturday evening. He looked down at the blue gift bag in his hand and considered folding the top over to keep the contents from getting wet, but he was only two store fronts down from the restaurant. It would survive.

He hadn't taken three steps when he spotted Sara standing beneath the restaurant's awning. She smiled at him when he caught her eye, giving him a little wave with her white handbag.

"What a remarkable coincidence, meeting you here," Neal said when he reached her.

"I know, it's amazing. It was like we planned it," Sara replied, kissing him briefly, just off the corner of his mouth. She ran her hand down the length of his arm, and her eyes settled on the bag, but she didn't say anything about it. "How are you?" she asked, dragging her eyes back up to his face.

Neal held the door open for her and replied, "I'm good. I like your dress."

"Oh, thanks." She laughed, looking down at her yellow halter dress. "My assistant said I looked like a banana, so I've been self conscious all day. I almost went home and changed first, but then I would have been late."

Blinking, and taking another look at the dress, Neal started to laugh. She had a point. "I like bananas. You made your assistant work on a Saturday?" He wasn't surprised that Sara had been there. She was more of a workaholic than anyone else Neal knew, and that was saying something.

Sara's eyes widened. She clearly didn't see anything strange about that. "Of course I did. That's how she gets away with saying things like that. Well, that and she's really good at her job, and my world would fall apart without her, so she knows being fired is unlikely."

"Good help is hard to find," Neal said as he stepped up to the hostess station. At their table, they sat down next to each other, leaving the two chairs across from them empty for Peter and Elizabeth.

Sara eyed the gift bag again as Neal set the bag down on the floor between them. "Is that for me?" she asked, her words rushed, as though she couldn't keep herself from asking.

Neal looked at the bag and then he grinned up at Sara. He shook his head. "No, it's not," he replied with a kind laugh.

"Oh, well..." Looking a little embarrassed, she reached for her menu. "Just so you know, I love presents."

"If I recall correctly, the last time I gave you a present, you accused me of being insincere."

Sara laughed. "And if _I_ recall correctly, I was right. So who's the present for?"

Neal was about to reply, but stopped himself as Peter and Elizabeth neared the table. "Hey," he said instead of answering Sara. "Right on time."

Elizabeth grinned as Peter held her chair out for her. "So you two haven't been waiting long?"

"We haven't even ordered wine," Neal replied with a smile, and as if on cue, their waiter showed up, asking what they'd like to drink.

Once they ordered, Elizabeth started pulling apart breadsticks to just eat the middle bits, and dropped the hard ends onto Peter's plate. Neal smiled at the comfortable intimacy of it.

He reached under the table and rested his hand on Sara's knee, rubbing the smooth skin with his thumb. She looked at him and smiled, placing her hand over his.

"So," Peter said as he set down his water glass, "how's the insurance investigation business going?"

Sara shrugged. "You know how it is. One week, it's exciting, and you've got guns pointed in your face, and then it's followed by three weeks of long, boring paperwork. I'm in a paperwork stretch."

"And yet you still went into work on a Saturday," Neal said.

"All right, it's exciting. As far as paperwork goes."

"I think your job is more exciting than mine," Peter said with a laugh. "Though I think we may have more guns."  
Neal held up a hand. "Am I the only one who doesn't find a gun in my face exciting?"

"I'm with him," Elizabeth said, giving Peter a pointed _I worry enough about you already_ face.

Peter smiled sheepishly and took her hand. He turned to Neal and said, "I think you end up with more guns your face than I do."

"That's because I'm always the one going in undercover while you're safe in the van," Neal replied, flashing a smile at their waiter who had come back with their drinks.

"Or you just really annoy all the criminals," Peter said. "Thank you," he added when the waiter set the bottled beer and a chilled glass in front of him.

"It's funny that they don't like being arrested," Neal said dryly. "I didn't see that one coming when I took the job."

Peter laughed. "Beats prison."

Neal would have raised his glass if the waiter, who was now giving their entire table an odd look, wasn't in the process of pouring wine into it. Instead, he grinned. "Most days."

Still chuckling, Peter poured his beer into the glass.

After they ordered their food, Elizabeth looked around the table. "I suppose I couldn't indulge any of you in conversation about something that doesn't involve work, could I? What's going on in your life, Sara?"

Sara twisted her mouth into neither a smile nor a frown. "Just work, actually. I don't really have a life," she admitted.

"I thought I talked to you about that," Peter said, a faint, amused smile on his lips.

"You did," she replied, looking guilty. "I'm a bad listener."

"If you don't have a life, then what this?" Elizabeth asked, pointing her finger between Sara and Neal. "It looks like something to me."

Neal scratched the back of his neck. He and Sara hadn't classified themselves in any way just yet, and they weren't anxious to. As much as everyone wanted to paint him as romantic, other than exception of Kate, where he _just knew_ , he'd never been one for commitments. But Sara was straightforward about it, so he knew she didn't want anything serious right now either. That was one of the reasons why he liked her so much, and was comfortable to do this at all.

"Its..." Neal said, and turned to Sara for help.

She raised one shoulder in a shrug. "Fun?"

"I'm having fun."

"Then it's fun," Sara said. She pushed her hair back away from her face and looked at Elizabeth. "It doesn't have to be anything else. It's nice, you know, no stress--"

"No games," Neal added.

"Yes. It's just a good time. Though I'm still sad the present isn't for me."

"Present?" Elizabeth repeated. She stopped tearing up the breadstick in her hand as her gaze shifted to Neal. "You brought a present?"

Neal felt his face heat up. He wasn't often flustered, and he was used to being put on the spot, but this was different. It wasn't a con or a job. It was all him, with no barriers. "It's nothing," he said.

"Well, what is it?" Peter asked.

Reaching for the gift bag, Neal tried to get his thoughts back in line. He bought the gift and brought it with him. He intended to give it, though he had been hoping that the introduction would be smoother. He set the bag on the table and pushed it across the red tablecloth.

"Peter, it's for you," he said.

"What's this for?" Peter asked. He pulled the bag closer to him, but he looked thoroughly confused. Next to him, Elizabeth was studying Neal with a furrowed brow, like she could figure him out before he answered.

Neal placed his hands in his lap and frowned. "Tomorrow is Father's Day. I thought I'd -- you should open it."

Slowly, Peter's features softened. "Neal, I--"

"You should open it," Neal repeated quickly. He didn't really feel like talking about the implications of the gift, not in public setting. He felt Sara take his hand, and glanced up at her. She was smiling at him, and Neal wasn't sure if she found this genuinely adorable, or if she wanted to make fun of him.

Peter picked up the bag and pushed aside the matching blue tissue paper, retrieving the shrink-wrapped box inside. He studied the box for a moment and smiled, looking up at Neal. "This is great, thank you."

"What is it?" Sara asked.

Peter held up the box so everyone could see. "One of those phone charging stations. You just set the phone on it and the battery charges."

"I thought, since you have three phones between the two of you, it could be... useful," Neal said with a shrug.

"That's really thoughtful," Elizabeth said, her eyes shining.

Peter put the box back into the gift bag and set the bag on the floor. He looked across the table at Neal and their eyes met. Neal resisted the urge to avert his gaze. No one was treating this like something embarrassing, least of all Peter.

"Thank you," Peter said, and there was no faking that kind of sincerity. Peter wouldn't know how to fake it, not even to make Neal feel better about giving him a stupid gift.

"You're welcome," Neal replied. He was relieved, but he had never been happier to have their food arrive, distracting everyone.

As the meal went on, they started discussing old movies, and Neal wasn't sure he'd ever laughed so hard as Elizabeth and Sara began reenacting scenes from _Bringing Up Baby_. Sara was a fantastic Katharine Hepburn, and she seemingly knew every line, quoting them with just the right inflection, while Elizabeth's Cary Grant was exaggerated, over the top, and absolutely hilarious.

Neal looked across the table and Peter was wiping tears of laughter away from his eyes. He grinned, and Neal had to grin back. He couldn't remember the last time he felt this warm and happy.

After dessert, and the checks were paid, they started for the front of the restaurant. Before they reached the door, Neal rested a hand on Peter's shoulder and held him back.

"Yeah?" Peter asked.

"I was thinking I might head over to Sara's, so..." Neal tilted his head to the side. "I know it's not in my radius, but it's closer to here than my place."

"Oh, so that's what this is about," Peter said, holding up the bag. "You're trying to butter me up."

Neal shook his head. "No, Peter, I... I meant that. I wouldn't have--"

"Hey, I'm kidding. Go on, have a good time." A slow grin spread across Peter's face. "Son."

"Stop it," Neal said, but he grinned too. "See if I ever give you anything again, old man."

"Ow, that hurt," Peter replied, clapping his hand over his heart. He studied Neal for a moment and added, "I'm not old enough to be your father."

Neal nudged him with an elbow. "I'm still pretty good at math, you know. But it's the thought that counts, right?"

Peter nodded, his mouth now turned into a soft smile. His gaze shifted past Neal's face and over his shoulder, and Neal turned, following the line of Peter's sight.

Elizabeth and Sara stood just inside the restaurant's door, and though she was saying something, Elizabeth's eyes were on Peter. Neal felt like he was sitting in on some intimate moment, the way they were half a room away from each other, having separate conversations, and taking the time to find each other.

Sara noticed Elizabeth's waning gaze and when she saw what the distraction was, she chuckled. She glanced at Neal and rolled her eyes. _Couples_.

Neal smiled, but seeing Peter and Elizabeth like this, it warmed him. He was suddenly ready to take Sara home.

"Let's go," Peter said. He dropped a hand on Neal's shoulder and led him out of the restaurant.

It had stopped raining, and the night air was cool against Neal's face. He saw Sara rub her hands over her bare arms, so Neal took off his jacket and placed it over her shoulders.

"Thanks," she said, slipping her arms into the sleeves.

"This was fun, Elizabeth said as she stepped up to Neal. She wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him tight for a moment before pulling back. "We should do it again sometime."

"We should," Neal agreed. He looked past her to Peter and said, "I'll see you Monday."

"I'll be there," Peter replied with a smile. "Sara, good to see you."

"You too," Sara said. She pushed the long sleeve of Neal's jacket up past her wrist to hold her hand up in a wave. "You want to share a cab?"

"We parked around the block," Peter said and then bid them both good night before he and Elizabeth turned away.  
While Sara hailed a cab, Neal paused to watch the back sides of Peter and Elizabeth, the way they were holding hands like teenagers, and how El's head tipped back with laughter at something Peter said.

"Neal."

He turned to Sara and smiled. A cab had stopped and she was standing there with the back door open, waiting for him.  
When they were on their way, Sara slid across the seat so her thigh pressed against Neal's. She took his hand and threaded their fingers together. "I'm sorry I outed your present."

"It's fine. In fact, it's probably just as well it happened like that. I might not have gone through with it," Neal replied. "Once I was sitting there, it seemed... stupid."

"It wasn't," she said. "It was sweet, and I think Peter was really touched. What made you think you of giving him a Father's Day gift?"

Neal sucked his lower lip into his mouth. "I don't know." He took a long pause, letting his thoughts settle before he spoke. "I used to always say that Adler was the man who made me who I am today. And that was true for a long time. It's still true in some ways, but not in the way it was. Peter's that man now, and I'm smart enough to know it. I guess I wanted him to know it, too."

"I think Peter's also smart enough to know it," Sara said.

"Sometimes, I think he still sees that guy he arrested the second time. I was desperate and stupid, and I think by the time he caught up with me, I wanted to be found."

She squeezed his hand. "He's always going to find you."

Neal raised his eyebrows. "You think so?"

"You don't?"

"I guess he has a pretty good track record," Neal said. The instinct to not give Peter too much credit was strong, but he felt somehow comforted by the idea of Peter being able to find him.

The cab stopped in front of Sara's building, Neal paid the driver, and they slid out of the car together. When the cab drove off, Sara looked up a Neal, wide-eyed.

"Don't you have a radius to get back into?" she asked.

"I cleared it," he replied. "Unless you want me to go, then I can." He started to turn away, but Sara grabbed him by the arm before he could get far.

"No. Stay." Her eyes narrowed slightly as a light mist began to fall. "There aren't going to be US Marshals breaking down my door at one AM, are there?"

Neal shook his head. "They'll call Peter before they come hunt me down. I think."

"You _think_?"

"Do you want me to stay or not?"

Sara reached up and took his tie into her hand, running her fingers along the length of the silk. A shiver ran through him as she contemplated him for a long moment. Finally, she said, "You can stay."

Neal grinned, and with Sara leading him by his tie, he followed her inside.


End file.
